Samaritan's Purse Team Patriot

In the aftermath of natural disasters, communities often look and feel like war zones. Survivors have been in a battle for their lives as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, and other catastrophic events wreaked havoc around them. They need an army of volunteers who are ready to help, providing leadership and skilled work in Jesus' Name.

Team Patriot gives military couples who have participated in Operation Heal Our Patriots the opportunity to serve hurting people in the aftermath of disaster. Through this Samaritan’s Purse program, military veterans and their spouses are able to use their battle-tested leadership abilities and unique skills to meet physical needs and share God’s love with homeowners trying to pick up the pieces of their lives after tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural catastrophes.

“…who better to send after a disaster than these men and women who’ve experienced military life and combat.”

"The storms are coming, Scripture tells us that, but who better to send after a disaster than these men and women who've experienced military life and combat," said Edward Graham, Chief Operating Officer of Samaritan's Purse and the youngest son of Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham. Before joining Samaritan's Purse, Edward served 16 years in the United States Army.

Since 2012, God has used our Operation Heal Our Patriots project to heal and strengthen military marriages through Biblically based training and ongoing care as part of our Family Care ministry. In 2019, Team Patriot was launched to involve military couples in relief efforts in the aftermath of natural disasters in the United States.

The first Team Patriot deployment took place in August, 2019, in Texas where our teams were rebuilding homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane that struck southeastern Texas in 2017.

"Team Patriot is a new life for me—it's a new purpose. It's a new sense of filling a void in assisting others," said Marine Sergeant Robert Bogus who served during that first deployment.

Robert helped with the rebuild for an 84-year-old widow whose home was flooded during Hurricane Harvey. "I still personally want to serve those around me and Jesus said I come to serve, not to be served," he said. "That's the reason I'm here."

Working Hard to See God at Work

Army Staff Sergeant Andrew Jenkins and his wife, Aimmie, watched the withdrawal of the U.S. military from Afghanistan. Grief and anger followed. But then they had a better idea than watching decades of work disintegrate in Kabul.

Within a couple of hours they were driving toward Louisiana to help with someone else's storm. Hurricane Ida had lashed New Orleans, and Team Patriot was there working. Andrew poured himself into cutting and hauling logs and tarping roofs. He actually loved the exhaustion.

“Even as tired as I was, I went to bed full of joy because I got to see God move. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before.”

A New Mission of Hope

Medically retired after 27 years and 12 deployments, Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant Brad Chandler wasn't finished. "I love a mission," he said. A mission is what he got when he and his wife, Tammy, joined the work in June 2022 helping fire victims in Muro, New Mexico.

A month later, Chandler went to flooded St. Louis to clean out waterlogged homes.

“It's restored a sense of calling and purpose for me and for us as a couple.”

"I found a mission to be a part of working alongside other veterans. It's restored a sense of calling and purpose for me and for us as a couple. And as a believer, I love the mission of sharing the Gospel and of seeing joy come back to people's faces."